As The Cold Rain Falls
by darkatheart14
Summary: This new world is as unforgivable as they come, especially for a mother with children. But fate intervenes in the form of a rough around the edges redneck who stole a heart that Elissa didn't believe she had. Can Daryl heal a broken spirit or will the end of the world claim another innocent
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N: This is my first attempt at a fanfic, but i've been reading a bunch of Walking Dead Fanfiction lately (gotta get me a daryl fix) and have had this idea niggling in the back of my head. Let me know what you think :]_**

**_I do not own the walking dead or any of its characters, however all other characters are my own._**

**_3 Megan_**

_Elissa took a long drag of her cigarette and sighed out loud watching the snow lightly fall around her home. She took in her peaceful surroundings, the moon reflecting off the fresh snow and catching in the bare trees that outlined the small forest just beyond the fence. At 2__am__, she found her mind still wouldn't shut down enough to sleep. Elissa sighed again and stood up to put her cigarette out when something shot out and latched itself onto her shoulder. A bloodcurdling scream echoed through the night as Elissa pushed the stranger away and slammed the door. Blood dripping down her arm, she stumbled into the dark bedroom where her husband was sleeping._

Daryl quietly took in the house from his hiding spot behind the trees. It looked safe enough, but in this new world a false sense of security was the quickest way to a painful death. They had learned that the hard way when Sophia had stumbled out of the barn, when the farm was overrun…he shook his head pushing away painful memories. He studied the house again. It was an old house in the middle of nowhere, though it had obviously been taken care of. The fence surrounding the property was fairly new and the paint looked fresh as well. Daryl found himself wondering about the previous owners but quickly dismissed the thought, probably walker food by now. The only sign of life was a small, handmade cross in the yard with fresh dirt over it. Snow crunched beneath Daryl's feet as he slowly made his way up to the door, where he came face to face with the wrong end of a pistol.


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Thank to my one reviewer! Kind of exciting! Lol.**_

_**I do not own The Walking Dead, or any of it's characters. The other characters however are my own.**_

"Drop your weapons," a feminine voice told him. Daryl slowly lowered his crossbow down and put his hands up to show he was unarmed. The pistol lowered slightly and he glanced up at the woman. She was average enough, blue eyes and blonde hair framed a heart shaped face that contained the gauntness of this new world, of never enough to eat and constantly on the move.

"If you're here to take my supplies you might as well leave now, I have nothing left worth taking though you're welcome to look." The voice sounded resigned, almost as if she was used to dealing with bandits.

"I'm just passing through," Daryl replied, "I have food and water; I don't need to take anything from you." The blonde glanced up at the sky and shook her head.

"There's a storm blowing through and you're not going to want to be out when it hits. Is your camp far?" Daryl shrugged, not wanting to give too much information. In reality the camp was a two day journey behind him. The woman sighed and moved out of the doorway.

"You might as well come in, at least for the night." Daryl picked up his crossbow and cautiously followed her inside. A small fire crackled in the fireplace giving the large room warmth. The walls were white and the floor was a dark wood. To his right there was a doorway he assumed was a closet, ahead of him there was a small kitchen with a door leading to the backyard. To the left was a hallway and two rooms that he could see, he assumed they were bedrooms. The living room was typical, family photos on the wall, a flat screen TV on a stand with video game systems hooked up to it. There was one big couch, a love seat, and an easy chair arranged around a coffee table. Something was cooking in the kitchen and the smell made Daryl's mouth start watering.

The woman was still eyeing him cautiously, making him uncomfortable. He set his crossbow down and shrugged off his jacket, making himself comfortable and showing the woman he didn't mean her any harm. Daryl could understand her wariness, remembering the incident with Randall. You could never be too careful giving out trust in this unforgiving world.

"Is it just you here?" he asked in an attempt to put the woman at ease. She hesitated then shook her head, still wary of the stranger. A sudden sound outside made them both freeze. Daryl pulled the curtains aside and peeked out at the walker wandering aimlessly towards the drive. The woman sighed.

"The commotion probably drew him in, I hope he's the only one." She picked up a crowbar and slowly opened the door. Daryl picked up his crossbow and watched the woman creep outside, surprising the walker with a quick bash to the head, cracking his skull and bringing him down quietly. She turned back towards Daryl for a brief moment, realizing too late that there was another coming at her from the side of the house. Before she had time to react, an arrow pierced the walker's skull, taking it down as well.

Unfortunately, the walker toppled over on top of the woman, she landed with a thud and felt a sharp pain shoot up her leg. Daryl jumped down from his position on the porch and offered the lady his hand; she took it and nodded her thanks. Putting weight down on her foot, however, caused another spasm of pain. Daryl put her arm around him and helped her limp up the porch stairs and through the front door. He lowered her down on the nearest couch.

"Probably sprained it. There an ice pack around here somewhere?"

"Freezer, very top." She replied. He brought it back and gently laid it on her ankle. She rested for a few minutes, and then stood up. Daryl opened his mouth to protest, but thought better of it.

The woman opened the door and called up the stairs that everything was safe. To Daryl's surprise, two small girls came down and peeked at him from the doorway.


End file.
